Penn school districts revamp visitor management
10 September, 2015
category: Security
Individuals visiting to Pennsylvania’s Steel Valley schools during class hours will now be required to present their driver license or comparable state-issued ID to campus security personnel prior to entry.
Per a report from TribLIVE, the Steel Valley school district’s new procedure is being instituted at all district schools this year on the advice of local police. The new procedure a recommendation from Steel Valley school resource officers, and as part of the new procedure, visitors will exchange their ID for a school-issued visitor badge to be worn while on school premises.
Aside from the Steel Valley school district’s new procedure, surrounding school districts are using a more advanced visitor management system from Raptor, following a similar formula to that of an initiative recently announced in Texas.
A number of Pennsylvania school districts require visitors to identify themselves to school security or staff upon arrival and again once inside. The Raptor security system has been a choice for many of these districts, as it enables the school to scan driver licenses or state identification cards and produce an adhesive badge for visitors wear.
Per the report, Pennsylvania’s South Allegheny school district purchased its Raptor system for three buildings at a cost of $5,217 and pays an annual fee of $1,500 for the service. Districts who leverage Raptor can also use the system to ensure visitors aren’t on national sex offender registries or pose other security risks.
Pennsylvania state education agencies maintain that setting visitor management policies is a district-level decision, rather than a statewide mandate. Nevertheless, an increasing number of districts in the state appear to be taking visitor management and ID vetting more seriously.
